Table of Contents

1: Introduction
I. Some Themes in Hero Cult: Homer and Pindar
2: Views of Death
3: Mortality and Immortality
4: Hero Cult
5: Uses of the word `heros'
6: Immortality in renown: Kleos
II. Heroization in the Fifth Century BC
7: Heroization of the War Dead
8: Heroization of Athletes
9: Theios aner: Religious Attitudes to the Living in the Fifth Century
III. Five Odes of Pindar
10: Isthmian 7: Pankration victor and the war dead
11: Pythian 5: The king and his royal forebears
12: Pythian 2: Locrian saviour and Cyprian hero
13: Nemean 7: Boy pentathlete and Delphian hero
14: Pythian 3: Fire and immortality
15: Epilogue

About the Author

Bruno Currie is Fellow and Tutor in Greek and Latin Languages and Literature, Oriel College, Oxford University.

Reviews

In this stimulating first book, Bruno Currie presents a well-defined, well-informed and not uncontroversial study. Deborah Boedeker, Journal of Hellenic Studies ...any study, which questions traditional scholarly notions of what went on in Greek religion, is refreshing...Currie's study has certainly opened up new ways of thinking about both the purpose and the institution of hero-cults, which will hopefully stimulate yet further work on Greek heroes. Gunnel Ekroth, Kernos